Midnight Wishes
by music4evah
Summary: No one gets a happy ending. Not in real life, anyways. But, maybe with some luck, a few wishes, and midnight...
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, I promised 4evahInHim that I'd write this, 'cause she has no time. (Yet she keeps writing other stories...hm...Just kidding! :] ) Anyways, this was her idea, she just asked me to write it. By the way, this doesn't exactly take place after a book. Everything that's happened in the series has happened as of book six, but it's not directly after any book... Just know that it's in the winter time. That should suffice for now.**

**I don't own The 39 Clues. I'm just building a few of my own castles in their sand box.** **Those stupid Lucians won't leave me alone...**

Midnight Wishes

Dan grumbled. Again.

"Amy..." he moaned. "Why do _we_ have to go? They'll probably just murder us!"

Amy glared at her younger brother. "Dan, Mr. McIntyre promised we wouldn't get hurt. We promised not to hurt anyone else, too, remember? No using your fake ninja skills."

Now it was Dan's turn to glare. "They aren't fake!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Dan, we're still going. Look, there's the limo Mr. McIntyre promised to send!"

Dan sighed. "I still think it's a bad idea."

Amy paused. "I...I do, too. I'm not to excited about this meeting, but...What harm can it do?"

Dan made a face. "You just want to see Ian again!"

Amy pursed her lips. "I do not!"

Dan was about to retort when the limo's car horn beeped.

Amy grabbed her bag, and Dan stuck his hands in his pockets, reluctantly following his sister out of the hotel room.

"Where's Nellie going again?" Dan asked as they stepped into the elevator.

Amy sighed. It was the third time he'd asked, which showed how nervous he was. "I told you, she's going to have a night out. I wasn't sure she'd accept it, but when she saw what restaurant Mr. McIntyre hooked up for her–She couldn't refuse."

Dan nodded. He and Amy were still suspicious of Nellie and her 'email friend', so this made it easier for them.

When Amy and Dan came out of the lobby door, they gasped at the sight in front of them.

Not just the limo, which was a pretty sweet car. But it was the man who was holding the door open for them.

It was the Man in Black.

Dan gulped. "Told you!" he whispered.

Amy bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to do. How...how had...?

The Man in Black spoke. His voice was rough, and it seemed like he hadn't talked to anyone in a very long time. "Amy, Dan, just get in the limo. I'm short on schedule, and Mr. McIntyre doesn't want to waste anymore time. Especially on this night."

Dan raised his eyebrows, but then dove into the limo. There had to be some pretty awesome stuff in there, and even though he was still kind of suspicious...Well, he'd just handle that later.

Amy followed Dan in. Strange how they had reversed roles so suddenly–all in the blink of an eye, she was the reluctant one.

The Man in Black shut the door, climbed into the drivers seat, and drove off.

Amy had a feeling that this was going to be a very long drive...

- - -

Natalie glared. At what, she really didn't care. But she glared, and she glared like that was the only thing keeping her alive. It was certainly the only thing keeping her from losing her head and screaming out curses that her parents didn't know she knew.

She stalked down the halls of the Kabra Mansion, trying to control her breathing, trying to look calm, before...

"Natalie!"

_Oh, just wonderful!_ Natalie thought. _Of course, _everything_ just has to go wrong today_...

Natalie slowly turned around, and faced her father, Vikram Kabra. He, of course, was his usual handsome self. Natalie already knew she was absolutely gorgeous, angry as she was.

"Natalie, would you mind taking off your heels and changing into flats?" Vikram asked.

Natalie raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why on Earth do I have a need to do that, father?" she asked sweetly.

Vikram gave a weak smile. "Because you are stomping around, and you are making quite a ruckus."

Natalie's mouth became an '_O'_. What...?

Vikram's smile grew. "Either that, or you could stop being so loud."

Natalie closed her mouth, and tried not to glare at the head of her family. She knew he was tired, and he was trying to be nicer today, even though he was under so much stress, but she also knew he was going to crack soon.

She hoped she didn't crack first.

"Natalie, come here, please," Vikram said soothingly. Which didn't exactly sooth his daughter. It take more than his gentle tone to do that.

Natalie took a few steps closer to her father, careful not to make to much noise with her heels. At this, her father chuckled. He led Natalie into his study, and let her sit down in front of his desk in a very soft chair. But, instead of being formal and strict, like he usually was, he didn't sit behind his desk, but sat beside Natalie in another soft chair nearby. Natalie raised her eyebrow again, but didn't say anything.

Vikram took one of Natalie's hands in his own. "Natalie, please, listen to me," he began earnestly. "I know you are very angry and disturbed that so many...guests...are coming here for the night. But please, be patient, and try to have some manners. Remember what Mr. McIntyre told us? We cannot harm anyone that comes for this...meeting. I would be very pleased if you would respect Mr. McIntyre's wishes. It would make it far easier for me. Who knows, maybe you'll even have fun?"

Natalie narrowed her eyes. "Father, they are _Cahills!_ And not all of them are from our branch! Hardly any of them are! Father, _please!"_

Vikram stood. "Natalie, I cannot just dismiss them. I made an agreement with Mr. McIntyre, and...Natalie, this night is very important. Have you never considered the fact that we could get valuable information on this night? So many powerful people are coming, and for once, we are expected to act like a real family that loves each other."

Natalie's eyes widened. Her father wasn't suggesting...?

"My daughter," Vikram continued, sitting back down, "I know this hard for you to consort with these people. But we must, and there will most likely be more good than bad that comes from it. Don't hurt anyone, please, and maybe, these people will seem like more than meets the eye. Promise me, won't you, Nat?"

Natalie pursed her lips, but she couldn't help giving her consent. "Alright, Father. I will try. I realize you are under much stress."

Vikram smiled thankfully. "Thank you, Natalie."

Natalie knew she was being dismissed. She stood up, and quietly left her father's study.

Vikram sat in the seat for a moment, and listened. He didn't hear so much as a footstep as Natalie left to prepare for the night's events.

- - -

Mr. McIntyre sighed. This was certainly going to be something. He wasn't sure he'd made the right choice, but...

They had all agreed. Well, some had taken more convincing then others, but still.

And it was to happen tonight.

Mr. McIntyre ran through his speech in his head again. _It should all go smoothly_, he told himself. _No one was _too_ opposed, and I'm sure everyone will have a swell time. Besides, I am curious..._

Mr. McIntyre cleaned his glasses, then placed them back on his nose. Tonight would really be something...

- - -

Ian gazed out his window. There weren't too many Cahills here yet. The Starlings, who were finally out of the hospital, had arrived. They were shown to the Ball Room, where Ivan Kliester, the leader of the Tomas branch, stood, chatting with his mother, Isabel Kabra. There was also Alistair Oh, who seemed to be rather nervous, but was talking with Yasmeen Badawi and Victor Wood, both fellow Ekaterinas. Paul Addison was talking with Charlie Wallace, but Ivan was keeping a close eye on them, not wanting the Ekat to harm or trick one of his own. Ophir Dupham, a renowned actor, was chatting with Lan Nguyen and Maria Marapao, who were also Janus. He was no doubt bragging about his latest movie about the Taj Mahal.

There were still plenty left to arrive, of course, such as the Wizards, who would show up fashionably late, as usual. Natalie hadn't gone down stairs yet, but she would soon, Ian was certain.

Mr. McIntyre was in the Grand Hall with Vikram, greeting guests as they came and directing them towards the Ball Room.

And how did Ian know all of this? Well, he had cameras set up in the Ball Room and Grand Hall to do a little looking around. He wouldn't go down stairs until he was comfortable with the situation. And he wasn't very comfortable yet.

Ian knew he was really just waiting for Amy. He was rather nervous, though. He had continued to betray her trust, over and over again...He wanted to make things right, but for one of the first times in his life, he didn't have a plan.

Ian glanced at the clock. 10 after 7. More Cahills should definitely be arriving.

Ian turned back to the window. There was a sleek limousine, and out stepped a beautiful girl that Ian knew was Lilya Chernova, who was an Ekat from Russia. He had never trusted her family, but he new she was powerful in her own right. Her parents came in a separate car, and Ian turned to his computer screen to watch them enter the Ball Room. Lilya glanced around the room, and decided hardly anyone was worth talking to. She decided to join Alistair, Yasmeen, and Victor in their chat.

Ian also noticed Chrissy Collins enter the room. He was a little surprised. He thought she would be a little busy...er...evading...certain things. Apparently, her parents had cleared it up...

Mateo Sanchez came shortly afterwards, and went over to Ivan, urgently telling him something about Jonah Wizard...

Ian turned back to the window. This was dangerous. Well, at least Alana wasn't here yet...he didn't want to see her. She'd see right through him in a minute. Or less.

A van pulled up, and out jumped the Holts. Ian cringed. At least they weren't wearing their matching purple work out suits, but they still didn't look very...er, formal.

Ian suddenly thought about Amy. What would she be wearing? He knew she and Dan didn't have very much money...hopefully Natalie wouldn't scoff too much at whatever they chose to wear.

Leslie D. Mill, a friend of Cora Wizard, soon came upon the scene, smiling and ready to talk about his new movie that he was producing. Soon after came George McClain, who looked a little out of his comfort zone.

Ian smirked. Just about all of them were.

Bae Oh came, a stern look on his face. Alistair wouldn't be too happy. _Well, _Ian mused, _Mr. McIntyre wouldn't let him come unless he agreed not to hurt anyone. So Alistair should be safe, if uncomfortable..._

Now three branch leaders had already arrived. There weren't too many people left to come...

Oh, one of the moments Ian had been dreading...Alana Flores had arrived. And not far behind her was that idiot, Gordon Klose, who was gazing at Alana like she was an angel straight from Heaven.

And Ian knew she was anything _but_ that.

Ian started pacing. Great, almost everyone he hated was here, and Amy wasn't.

Ian heard a care pull up, and he raced to the window. But, of course, it was just the Wizards. Ian sighed. Where was Amy?

After a few minutes of pacing and worrying, Ian heard a knock on his door. He quickly shut his laptops with the video of the Ball Room and Grand Hall, and then crossed the room and opened his door.

There stood Natalie, looking beautiful, as she always did.

Ian rolled his eyes. "What is it, Natalie?"

Natalie took a deep breath. "I really...really don't want to go down there..."

Ian nodded. "I understand. Alana's here..."

Natalie sighed. "I know...And a lot of others are, too...Including that idiot, Klose..."

Ian smirked. "He was following Alana in Hong Kong, right? And he fell madly in love with her?"

Natalie nodded. "Father told me all about it."

Another car pulled up. Ian rushed to the window. He heard Natalie snicker behind him, but he didn't care.

He saw a man dressed all in black get out of the drivers seat and walk to open the car door.

It had to be Dan and Amy.

Mr. McIntyre came out, and greeted the man. The man opened the door, and out stepped Dan.

Amy had to be next...

- - -

Amy was nervous, to say the least.

She was lucky she wasn't going insane!

Dan grabbed another fistful of popcorn.

"Dan, would you stop stuffing yourself!" she hissed desperately.

Dan turned to look at his sister. "Wof?" he asked.

Amy narrowed her eyes.

Dan swallowed then asked, "What?"

Amy slapped his arm.

"Ow!" Dan cried. "I'm just eating! What's wrong with that?"

Amy threw her hands up in the air. "You're acting like a pig! Do you know how nervous I am, Dan?"

Dan shrugged. "Look at it this way. If I eat something now, I won't seem like such a 'pig' at the meeting! They're bound to have treats!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "How can you eat at all?!"

Dan shrugged. "I hungry. I eat. I happy."

Amy moaned. He was bound to ruin the suit that the Man in Black had picked out for him. Yes, the gathering was formal. After the Man in Black had picked them up, he had taken them to a mall to get some formal clothes. Amy had found a nice dress her size. Well, nice was an understatement. Amy found it breath taking. It was nearly the same green as her eyes, and the fabric shimmered when it moved. It was very elegant–And as expensive as it was, the Man in Black had told her it was alright to purchase it.

Dan had snorted when he saw it, and mumbled something about her wanting to impress Ian. She had blushed, but she ignored him.

They had gotten a flight to London, and now the Man in Black was taking them to the Kabra's Mansion.

Dan slurped a Sprite. Amy groaned.

Amy tried not to think about who they were about to meet...Amy wasn't sure how many Cahills would be at the Kabra's. But it didn't matter how many...If there were a couple from every branch, chaos was sure to take hold.

- - -

"Whoa," Dan said around his mouthful of M&Ms. "Thath a bik houth."

Amy hit Dan on the back, causing him to spit out his M&Ms.

"Hey!" He yelled.

But before he could say anything else, the Man in Black opened the door. Dan stepped out, thinking about how big the pool had to be here.

Amy took a deep breath. Ian was in there. And she did not want to see him. At all. But did she have a choice? There would be plenty of other Cahills there that she didn't want to see, either. Ian was just someone she'd rather not see more than just about anyone she could think of.

Amy scooted across the car seats, and stepped out of the limo. Dan hadn't been lying. This was one big house.

- - -

**Ok, I originally meant this to be a one-shot. Really, I did. I thought that would suit it. But it's gonna be longer. So, 4EvaInHim, what do you think? I know, I'm making a big deal out of it. But I thought it was rather funny. :) It kind of takes after that one story I'm writing...**

**Anyways, I'd also like to thank those who nominated my stories for The 39 Clues Fanfiction Awards. I have 5 stories, and someone nominated me for Best Author. Well, I'm thanking all those except for the one who nominated my 39 Clues Fanmail for most comedic. That story is not funny. It is dangerous and stupid. Thanks for liking it, but I rather hate it. A lot.**

**Oh, and I know, I know, I'm using a lot of people in this. But I didn't want to just use the people who went to Grace's funeral and accepted the 39 clues. That would be lame. So, I'm going to try to keep everyone straight, and if you can't, I don't blame you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I didn't expect this story to be so popular...A LOT of people favorited this, and put it on story alert, and favorited me, and some even put me on author alert! I feel so loved! :] Thanks! I hope you like this next chapter!**

**I don't own the 39 clues. I'm just building a few castles in their sandbox...(Stupid Madrigals are trailing me...)**

**Chapter 2 - **

Ian's breath caught in his throat. Was...was that really Amy? She was gazing at the house in wonder, but then the man dressed in black directed her and her brother inside.

Ian opened his laptop screens, not caring that Natalie was still in the room. He watched as Amy and Dan were greeted by his father and Mr. McIntyre. Amy was..._lovely_. Sure, her dress probably wasn't designer, and she obviously didn't know too much about putting on make-up, seeing as she didn't have very much on. But her ensemble was so simple...And the dress made her look amazing! Her hair wasn't really anything to brag about, but Ian still found it beautiful, the way it flowed down her back... And it wasn't just her outside appearance, either. She was beautiful and simple on the inside, too.

Natalie scoffed at her brother. "You're obsession is pathetic, Ian."

Ian turned around. Natalie was smirking, hands on her hips. "Well, I might as well go down now. I could tell Amy about your little secret."

Ian tried to keep his composure. "And where would that get you, Natalie?" he asked calmly.

Natalie shrugged. "I don't know. But obviously, it bothers you! Ta-ta!"

Natalie swept out of Ian's room, and headed for the Ballroom.

Ian closed his laptops. All the guests were here. Everyone was in the Ballroom, now, except for him.

Ian took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "Here goes nothing," he muttered.

- - -

Amy didn't know half of the people in the room.

And she was sure almost none of them knew her.

"Woo, they don't just have treats! It's like feast!" Dan rushed over to the table. Well, he would have, except that Amy grabbed the collar of his suit.

"Aw, c'mon Ames!" Dan whined.

Amy glared. "Dan, I told you not to act like a pig!" she hissed.

"Well..." Dan began, before Natalie strode up to them.

Dan scowled. "Speaking of pigs..."

"What was that, Daniel?" Natalie asked sweetly.

"Nuthin'...And it's 'Dan'. Not 'Daniel'. D-A-N, Dan. Say it with me: _Dan._"

Amy put a hand across her eyes. Why had she expected this night to go well at all?

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Whatever..."

Dan shrugged. "Well, if you're not going to do anything other than act all stuck-up, I'm outta' here!" And with that, he scurried off to the refreshments table.

Amy winced. Now she was virtually alone with a cobra. Well, at least it wasn't Ian...

"Anyways, Amy," Natalie began, "I wanted to talk to you about Ian."

Amy froze. (Not that she was moving very much. Just glancing around the room, trying to find an excuse to get away from Natalie.)

"Wh-wh-what?" she whispered, not realizing that she was stuttering.

Natalie smiled innocently. "Oh, just about Ian's little..._obsession..._"

Amy's insides churned. Obsession? "You mean himself?" she snorted, trying to act indifferent. "I don't care to hear about that."

Natalie chuckled. "Oh no, Annie."

"Amy."

"Whatever..." But before Natalie could get another word in, Mr. McIntyre stepped onto a small stage set up on the other side of the room, and spoke into a microphone.

"Excuse me, is everyone here?" he asked.

Vikram looked around. "Wait, we are just missing Ian–Oh, there you are!"

Ian strode into the room.

Amy's breath caught in her through. She mentally kicked herself. True, he looked dazzling, but was that any reason to get weak-kneed around a snake?

_Yes, yes there is,_ part of Amy's mind said. _Shut up!_ She told herself.

"Ah, yes, well, very good then!" Mr. McIntyre said. He took off his glasses, cleaned them with a handkerchief, and placed them back on his nose.

"Dude, how nerdy do you get?" Dan asked.

Amy's head whipped around. "When did you get back?" she hissed.

Dan shrugged. "5 seconds ago."

Amy rolled her eyes and turned back to Mr. McIntyre.

"Now, I do believe that you all know why I called you here tonight, but I shall do a little recap for you.

"Tonight is December 31st. Tomorrow will be a new year. And I have contacted as many Cahills as I could to come and celebrate like a proper family should."

A few whispers arose, different people muttering different opinions.

"Now," Mr. McIntyre raised his voice slightly to call everyone's attention back to him. "Now, it is 7:18. You have some time to yourselves right now to chat or have some refreshments generously supplied by the Kabras. An orchestra should be arriving shortly, so if you wish to dance at all, you are welcome to do so. At 10:00, we will begin an activity, though, and the orchestra will be excused."

Mr. McIntyre cleared his throat. "Alright, the time is now yours to do as you wish."

Dan grinned. "Sweet! I'm getting more food!"

But before he could, Dan was interrupted, but not by Amy this time.

"Dan, Amy!" Alistair beamed. "Good to see you. I trust you are well?" he asked anxiously.

Amy nodded, and Dan said, "Yeah! This place is sweet! I'm gonna' go get some snacks though, kay? See ya!"

Dan rushed off.

Amy smiled apologetically to Alistair. "Sorry. I guess he's just hungry."

Alistair smiled as well. "Oh, it is fine, my dear girl! But I would like to introduce you to some colleagues of mine–All Ekaterinas, of course."

Amy shrugged. "Alright."

Alistair glanced around. "Ah, they are by the drinks. Come along!"

Amy followed Alistair to the large table full of glasses and large bowels with various drinks in them. She scooped up some water into a cup, hoping to calm her nerves somewhat.

Beside Alistair were 3 teenagers, 1 boy and 2 girls.

"This," Alistair began, "Is Lilya Chernova."

There stood one of the most beautiful girls Amy had ever seen. She had long, flowing blond hair that was curled delicately, and her brown eyes twinkled merrily. She wore a sleeveless pink ball gown and white gloves. (If she hadn't been wearing them, Amy was sure Lilya would have a perfect manicure.)

"And here we have Yasmeen Badawi," Alistair gestured.

The second girl smiled warmly. Her brown eyes twinkled as much as Lilya's had, and she raised a hand to sweep her long black hair out of her flawless face. "Hello," she said. Amy thought she detected an accent similar to those she had heard back in Egypt...

"And last, but certainly not least," Alistair said, "is Victor Wood."

Victor nodded. He was tall, and fairly young. He didn't really stand out of a crowd, but he was still attractive. He had a broad fore head, and Amy didn't doubt that he was a genius.

"N-nice to meet you," Am smiled to all three.

Alistair smiled as well. "Lilya, Yasmeen, Victor, this is Amy Cahill."

Before anyone could say another word, though, Natalie strode up to the group.

"Why hello, relatives. Now, I do not mean to be rude, but I have a few words to say to Amy. If you could excuse us?"

Alistair, Lilya, Yasmeen and Victor nodded, and Amy walked away with Natalie, silently dreading what she had in store.

"Now," Natalie began once they'd reached a more secluded area. "As I was saying before we were interrupted. Ian's obsession."

"Excuse me, Natalie, I do not believe I _have_ an obsession."

Natalie's eyes widened before she quickly narrowed them. She certainly hadn't been expecting Ian to interrupt before she humiliated him.

"Well," she huffed. "No one can let us talk in peace, can they, Amy?"

Amy was trying not to scream. "Er...I suppose they can't. Not that I mind."

Natalie glared at Amy. Then she huffed again. "Well!" And she stalked away in search of better company. There had to be _someone_ who respected and admired her...

Ian stepped to where Natalie had stood. "Well, now that she is gone," he smiled.

Amy looked away. "Not the only one who should be."

Ian's smile fell.

Of course she still hated him.

...But he might as well try to make things better now rather then never.

"You look beautiful," he said gently.

Amy's head whipped around. Her mouth was in an _O_, but she quickly shut it. "Look, Ian I know you don't care about me," she said softly. Then, with sudden venom, "So stop pretending you do!"

Ian blinked. A few heads turned their way, seeing as there wasn't very much noise in the room, and the orchestra hadn't come yet.

"I..." Ian started. "I...Amy, that was a compliment. And I really meant it."

Amy wasn't sure whether she should believe him or not. She certainly didn't want too. Well, alright, she did. But she knew Dan didn't trust him at all, and she knew he was a jerk who would most likely never change.

Amy took a deep breath. She was better than him. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped." _Although you deserved it,_ she thought.

Ian nodded. "Apology accepted."

The two stood there a little awkwardly for a moment. Amy sipped her water. Ian licked his dry lips.

"Well," Amy said cheerfully. "I'm going to go make sure Dan isn't killing himself with sweets. Bye!"

She swept past him, and Ian mentally kicked himself for not saying anything. But what would he say? 'So, Amy, how's the clue hunt coming along?' No. Bad idea. 'Oh, remember what happened in Korea? Haha, yes, bit of a mess there...Anyways, I'm dreadfully sorry. Please forgive me.' That was a bad idea as well.

He bowed his head slightly.

Someone tapped his shoulder. He turned, and saw Yasmeen Badawi.

"Hello, Ian Kabra," she said in a think accent. "You have a nice home."

Ian shrugged. "You should see out summer home in Spain."

Yasmeen raised an eyebrow. "Ah...Yes. I shall try to come next summer," she said sarcastically. "Ian, I do not know that much about you or that lovely girl Amy."

Now Ian raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Yasmeen laughed. "You are such an idiot! Really, Ian, why are you just letting her go?"

Ian leaned back. "Wh...What? I...I mean...Yasmeen...Please stop laughing. Thank you. Yasmeen, there...There is too much...history...between Amy and me to not just 'let her go'."

Yasmeen smirked. "Ian, I heard that whole conversation. It is obvious that you are in love with her–No, do not interrupt–And it is also very obvious that she would like to love you as well. But she is afraid to. Care to tell me why?"

Ian bit his lip. "No."

Yasmeen shrugged. "Oh, alright. Have it your way. Lose the girl you love, and have her hate you for the rest of you life, most likely finding another boy..."

Ian's mouth fell open. "...You...You really think that would happen?"

A roll of the eyes. "Of course it would! Believe me, I know how girls work. I am one! Ooh, look, there is the orchestra!"

"But–Oh, they're better than the last one...But that's beside the point!"

"Right. Anyways, you need to talk to Amy."

"I just did! And that didn't help."

"Because you said the wrong things! Listen, ask her to dance. She'll want to refuse, but she won't be able to say 'no', especially if you look at her lovingly."

"...What?"

"Well, maybe not _that_ way...Invitingly? Oh, you already know how to do it, I'm sure. Well, ask her when you get the chance, and talk to her. _Apologize for whatever you did._ And be sincere. Tell her you love her, if you want to!"

Ian shook his head. "Look, thank you for the advice. But...Why are you helping me, anyways? Aren't you an Ekat?"

Yasmeen shrugged. "Yes. I am. But tonight...It doesn't matter what branch you are. Besides, I do enjoy a good love story."

Ian shook his head again. "This isn't a story."

And he walked away.

- - -

Sinead rolled her eyes.

Her brothers were so pathetic.

They were asking a waiter if they could pop some popcorn so that they could search for two identical popcorn pieces.

"Just like Sonny With A Chance!" Ted had said.

"Twin popcorn pieces for real twins. Isn't that sweet?!" Ned had added.

Sinead had rolled her eyes and ignored them. They took that as a yes.

Sinead, however, would do something _useful._ She would find out how far the others had gotten in the hunt during their absence. Irina wasn't here. That was somewhere to start.

She gazed around, and then found Amy.

_She's a weak chicken,_ she thought. _She'll spill. Might take a bit of incentive. But she'll talk._

Sinead strolled over to Amy, who was looking at the refreshments hesitantly.

"Amy!" Sinead beamed.

Amy looked up. She tried to smile. "S-S-Sinead," she said, attempting to sound cheerful.

"Wow, Amy, nice dress. How'd you afford it?"

Amy blushed. "Someone bought it for me."

"Ooh," Sinead gushed. "A secret admirer? Does he know about the hunt? Who is he? Do you know who it is?"

Amy held up a hand to stop the flow of questions. "It was an adult, Sinead."

Sinead wrinkled her nose. "Ew. Anyways, enjoying the party?"

Amy shrugged uncomfortably. "Er...Well, this place is nice. And..._Some_ of the people in this building are..."

Sinead laughed. "I know, right? They, like, try to murder you. Remember the Holts blowing up the place?"

Amy gave a real smile, small as it was. "Uh...Yeah. I remember."

Sinead grinned. But inside, she felt like strangling her. Maybe Amy wasn't as easy to crack as she thought. Then again, she was shy. But she'd have her feeling comfortable in no time.

- - -

**Ok. That's it for this chapter. I was a little unsure how to end this one, but...Pretty much. So, yeah, you know more now. And...I know, I know, I'm slow. Sorry I spent so much time on Ian/Amy stuff. Not sure if Yasmeen's really like that, but I've always thought she was cool. :)**

**Ian's such an idiot.**

**Anyways, sorry this is going to be longer than I thought...But I'm having fun with it. Next chapter, we'll probably see some dancing, and then the NEXT chapter will have some really good stuff...**

**Don't worry! I'm getting there!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alas, here is chapter 3. I'm thinking there'll probably be just one more chapter after this, but you never know.**

**Anyways, there will be a lot of dancing in this, seeing as I went to a wonderful dance recently and I danced a lot...(With my crush twice!!!) Sorry. I'm going all girly on you. Oh, the shame!**

**Anyways, read it. What are you reading my boring and lame Author's note for???**

**Chapter 3 - **

Jonah was bored, to say the least.

This party needed some real music. Not that all that Mozart-type stuff was bad. He was a Janus, after all. But it could get old after a while.

He looked around. He wasn't sure he wanted to dance. Ballroom wasn't exactly his thing. But then again, it's not every day you get to dance with a hot girl on a moonlit night...Yeah, he'd try it out.

Finding someone worth dancing with was the problem.

Not that he wanted to.

He just thought he could do a little sweet talking. Gain a few advantages.

He spotted Lilya chatting with Victor. (Victor. What kind of name was that? He was a bald dude, too. And from what Jonah understood, he spent all day shut up in a lab.) Lilya was pretty hot. Yeah, he could ask her. But how to get her away from Victor? He'd probably seem desperate if he just broke into their conversation and asked her right then and there.

He needed to wait for a lull, and then he'd just stroll up, and ask her.

And then the sweet talking would begin.

Of course, Lilya wasn't the only option. There was also Lan, and she was from his branch. But, the sweet talking wouldn't do him much good, he figured.

He could try Amy, but she was shy, and probably was clumsy on her feet, too.

Sinead...Well, Jonah honestly didn't know that much about her. She was hot, that was true. But she had two idiot brothers. Sinead was talking to Amy, probably trying to wheedle information out of her. Just like her was trying to do to others.

_Well, great minds think alike_, Jonah mused. Maybe he'd dance with her later.

He couldn't try Natalie. No, she'd see through his act in an instant. Besides, who wanted to dance with a snake?

- - -

Amy was terrified. For a second, she'd wanted to dance with a snake.

Not a real snake. But figuratively, yes, he was indeed a snake.

But she hated him. Right?

"Amy?" Sinead asked.

Amy whipped her head back around. "What? Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Sinead refrained from stomping her foot. "I said, why do you keep looking at Ian with a case of love-sickness, and then suddenly glare at him?"

Amy's heart nearly stopped. "I..." What could she say?! Had she really been doing that? "It's...personal," she said weakly.

Sinead laughed casually. "Oh, dear Amy."

Amy flinched.

"Honestly, you do not understand boys. Not that anyone can, but believe me, you need some help. Advice. And I would _love_ to help you, but I can't if I am unaware of your situation." Sinead put extra emphasis on the word 'love', trying to play the part of a sympathetic friend as best she could.

Before Amy could try to protest again, Ian came up to them, abruptly ending the awkward conversation.

"Hello, Amy. Sinead."

Amy bit her lip, then managed to say, "Hi."

Sinead nodded, smiling, still trying to act cheerful.

"Amy, would you like to dance with me?"

Amy bit her lip again. She quickly glanced at the dance floor.

Not many were out there. If she said yes, no doubt many people would be staring at them. But, at the same time, it was rude to say no...Not that Ian would know the difference. And...she somehow couldn't help wanting to say that she'd love too.

Finally, she answered, "Uh...sure..."

Ian breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At least she hadn't slapped him for asking her.

Amy took Ian's outstretched hand, if a little reluctantly, and stepped out to the dance floor with him.

"Do you know the waltz?" he asked.

Amy nodded. "I don't exactly know any fancy moves, though," she blushed.

Ian refrained from smirking at her. She probably hadn't been to the numerous balls his mother had forced him to go to.

Ian put his right hand on her waist, and took her left hand in his other. Amy hesitantly put her free hand on his shoulder.

They began waltzing, Ian giving her tips every now and then, and before she knew it, Amy was actually smiling and having fun.

"I'm going to spin you now. Ready, go!"

Amy twirled under Ian's arm, and then gracefully came back into the dancing position she had been in moments before.

"Excellent," Ian smiled. "You're actually a wonderful dancer. To think, all this time, your talent has been wasted."

Amy blushed. "Well, I did have to learn to waltz in school, once."

Ian nodded. "Is that the only dance you know?"

Amy blushed again. "Yeah...I mean, I'd know more if I had the t-time to learn them, but..."

"The clue hunt distracts you," Ian jumped in. "Especially when you don't want it too."

Amy nodded, surprised Ian understood. The two danced in silence for a while, but it wasn't really awkward. Only slightly.

Finally, the music ended, and Ian gave Amy a little bow of the head. "Thank you for this dance. It has been a pleasure."

Amy blushed, but she smiled. "Y-your welcome. It was fun, anyways."

Ian smiled, too, then walked away.

- - -

"So," Jonah asked Lilya as they danced. It was later in the evening, and Jonah had finally got a chance to try his 'scheme' out. "You come from Russia?"

Lilya nodded. "Yes."

There was an awkward silence, then Jonah said, "Cool. Is it cold up there?"

"At times."

"...Cool. Haha, get it? 'Cool'? As in cold?"

Lily smiled. "Yes. Funny. But I would appreciate it if you stopped flirting with me. I do not find _that_ funny."

Jonah gulped. "Yo. I wasn't...I wasn't flirting! I was...Making conversation."

Lilya chuckled. "Of course. I do not blame you for wanting to flirt with _me_, but I would like it if you stopped."

Jonah sighed. This wasn't working. "Anything...interesting happen there? In Russia?"

"No, my parents won't let me go with them to–Never mind." Lilya cut herself off. No way was she giving Jonah any information. Or, like Americans so often said, 'spilling the beans'.

The music ended, and Lilya pulled away from Jonah. "Thank you for the dancing," she said curtly before she swept away.

Jonah sighed. His plan was down the toilet...

- - -

The minutes ticked on, and the hours did, as well. Surprisingly soon, it was 10 'o clock, and Mr. McIntyre came to the stand again, gaining everyone's attention as the orchestra exited behind him.

"If I could have your attention again? Ah, yes, thank you. Now, it is 10 'o clock, as you can see by the grandfather clock on that side of the room." Mr. McIntyre pointed. "Now, I would like to introduce to you an activity for tonight. You see, as tonight is the 31st of December, tomorrow will be a new year. There are many traditions of sorts that families do, and one of them is to make New Year Resolutions. Which is precisely what you will be doing."

A few mumbles were heard as different people made different comments, and suddenly, Dan whispered to Amy: "Dude, I didn't realize how stupid that sounded until McIntyre said that out loud."

Amy jumped. "Would you stop doing that?" she hissed.

Dan shrugged. "Whatevs."

Amy rolled her eyes and turned back to Mr. McIntyre.

"Now, a servant is coming around with a cup that has different pieces of paper in it–You all will draw one. That will be the order that you will come up to say your resolutions."

Dan peered around, looking for the servant. "I see him!" he nudged Amy. "Whoa, the dude looks really scared and nerdy. Haha, I bet he's scared of the Holts."

"Or the Kabras," Amy muttered.

Finally, the servant came to them, and Dan grabbed a number as fast as he could. Amy rolled her eyes and took one as well.

"Hey, I got number 30! What'd you get, Ames?"

"Number 31." Amy showed him the small square of paper.

"Hey, right after me!" Dan grinned. "...Wait a second. Is this thing rigged?!"

Amy stared at Dan without expression. "Yes, Dan, it is," she said sarcastically.

Dan's eyes bulged. "It is?" he whispered hoarsely to her.

Amy hit his arm. "No, you dweeb!" she hissed. "It's just luck of the draw!"

Dan snorted and rolled his eyes. "I knew _that_," he said. Amy knew he was lying. But she turned her head back to Mr. McIntyre anyways.

"Alright, now that you have your order, I will give you ten minutes to ponder on any resolutions you would like to make. You do not have to state just one, but that is the minimum. Also...You cannot mention the 39 Clues in your resolution."

A few groans arose.

_Obviously,_ Amy thought, _No one here is very creative._

Mr. McIntyre left the stand, and a few of the guests went up to him with questions.

Amy turned back to Dan. "What will you say?" she asked.

Dan grinned. "I'm gonna' learn some ninja moves! Hee-YA!" Dan made a karate chop with his hand.

Amy leaned back. "You are _still_ a dweeb," she muttered.

Dan straightened back up from his ninja pose. "What will you say, then?" he challenged, daring her to come up with something cooler.

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. I really just want to survive this next year..."

"And start dating Ian?" Dan wiggled his eyebrows, and made kissing noises. "Ian and Amy, sitting in a tree. Kay-eye-ess-ess-eye-en-gee!"

Amy rolled her eyes. Dan really needed to grow up. She knew that if she protested, Dan would just continue to make fun of her. So she crossed over to a row of chairs along one wall, and sat down, wondering what on earth her New Year's Resolution would be.

- - -

**Mwa ha ha ha. I'm excited for the last chapter. A LOT is going to happen in that one. :D Anyways, hope you enjoyed the dancing. I just wrote another story that had a lot of dancing in it, too, for Another Artists' contest, so I've had enough writing about that for a while. I love dancing, though. It's so much fun! :) Anyways, review, blah, blah, blah, and if you have any super good suggestions for anyone's New Year's Resolution, please say so! I have some good ones, but I don't have EVERYONE figured out yet.**

**Here's who I already got:**

**Amy, Dan, Ian, Natalie, Jonah, Eisenhower, Hamilton, Madison & Reagan, (Most likely,) Lilya, Yasmeen, Ned & Ted, Victor, Alistair, Ivan, the director dude that I can't remember the name of, Gordon, Alana, Paul, Charlie, the Indian actor dude, and the Brazilian soccer dude.**

**I still need ideas/better ideas for:**

**Mr. Wizard, Mrs. Wizard, Mary-Todd, Sinead, Vikram, Isabel, Bae, and Lan.**

**All suggestions will be welcome, however!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Midnight Wishes ~ Chapter 4**

* * *

Gordon was in love. That was it, sweet and simple. It was absolutely hypnotizing, to watch that angel glide about the room. The way she walked, talked, looked. . . Gordon wished he knew how Alana thought, as well. That had to be equally beautiful. Oh, to follow her around all day! Well, he had done that a few times, actually. But that had been an assignment. If he wasn't under specific rules, maybe he would have the chance to talk to her! And what if she confessed her love for him? (He didn't bother to consider the chance that Alana did not have any sort of romantic feelings for him.)

Instead, Gordon followed Alana Flores around like a helpless puppy dog, and in vain, she tried to lose him. She experimented with various methods: ignoring him, glaring at him, talking with others. She even tried to ask Ian to dance. Of course, Ian had refused, and although she had explained to him her dilemma with Gordon, there had been no convincing him. Nothing worked!

With luck, this night would be over sooner rather than later.

* * *

The ten minutes passed quickly, and Amy felt the dread building in her stomach. Why did such a simple thing have to drive her to such anxiety? Dan already had a resolution, and no doubt everyone else did, too. But what was there left of her life other than the 39 Clues? In all honestly, the only reason she was here was because–

Her thoughts were cut off by Mr. McIntyre's voice. "I hope the time I gave you has been ample. Now, if the person who has number one would come up?" The room quieted as Mr. McIntyre scanned the room. Lilya strode forward and mounted the stage elegantly, flashing a winning smile to the Cahills gathered.

She was glad to be first, for she could get this over with all the sooner. Although, really, she didn't see much of a point to it. But what was the harm? So, Lilya had considered carefully, determining what the best thing was to say to the others. She couldn't just say anything. After all, she was the first one! Besides, she didn't want to seem childish.

Lilya observed the small crowd for a few seconds. Her parents were no longer down there. They had simply come to say hello to a few relatives, make their presence known, be polite, and then off they were to who-knows-where. Lilya, however, stayed there. She hoped the party would get better as the night wore on.

"My resolution," she said into the microphone, "is to see more of the world in this upcoming year." She gave another smile, and the Cahills clapped respectfully. It was possible that they would guess why she wanted to travel so much, but at least she hadn't mentioned the 39 Clues, as the Lawyer had forbidden before.

Mr. McIntyre called for number two, and Ivan Kliester stepped up. "I want to win," he stated.

There was silence for a moment. Then somebody, who Amy suspected was Dan, called, "Win _what_?"

He shrugged. "Everything." After a few moments, the polite applause came again, and he walked off the stage feeling proud of himself. xD He just hoped that the Holts didn't mess this up.

Next came Yasmeen Badawi. She told everyone that she wanted to win the Ekaterina award again that year. After that came Charlie Wallace, Paul Addison, Lan Ngyuen, Ophir Dhupam, and Mateo Sanchez. Amy didn't particularly pay very much attention to them. They were pretty standard, and Amy didn't know them very well. Her mind had soon wandered, until Dan prodded her.

"Hey, did you doze off already?" Amy glared at him, but didn't say anything. She looked up to the stage, where a girl who looked like a cheerleader at prom had just gotten on stage.

"Who's that?" she whispered. Dan shrugged.

"_That_ is Chrissy Collins," a voice said.

Amy turned her head. It was Ian. She turned back around quickly and focused on the girl, who seemed to be hopping up and down with excitement. Maybe she was a cheerleader.

Chrissy Collins was indeed excited. Wicked excited, in her words. What a wonderful idea! New Year's resolutions. How creative, too. And what a way to bring the family together! Usually, Cahills were so. . . What was the word? Maybe. . . stuck-up? Yes, they were usually very stuck-up, and didn't care about anyone but their branches and ultimate power.

All right, so _sometimes_, she was a bit like that too. But it came out more through her regular teenage cheerleader girl life. And it wasn't like anyone resented her for it. If anything, they probably respected her because of her awesome leadership skills. Who wouldn't, really?

"I hope to cheer all my high school sport teams to victory! Woo! Go team!" She grinned, and hopped off of the stage.

_Definitely a cheerleader_, Amy thought.

Then Sinead Starling walked up. Here was someone Amy knew. She looked confident, and like most that had come onto the stage before, she flashed a friendly smile before she spoke. "I would like to catch up to everything I missed while I was in the hospital," she said sweetly.

Amy gave a small applause along with everyone else and then inwardly groaned as Jonah Wizard came up next.

"I'm number eleven, yo!" he grinned. "A'ight, let's get this party stahted!" He gave a small chuckle, but no one seemed to laugh with him. He kept up his act of confidence and friendliness, but inside thought: _Tough crowd. . ._

"Well," he continued, "I got a resolution for the next year! It's gonna' be a blast! Blow ya' minds. Can't wait. Any-who, I'ma gonna' try to get my next album triple platinum. Peace! Wizard, out!" He walked off the stage confidently, and the applause followed. Amy almost chuckled as she wondered if they were just clapping because he was leaving the stage, along with his typical gangster talk.

The next one to go up, though, really made Amy shudder. It was Bae Oh. Amy didn't have very many fond memories of him. Come to think of it, she didn't have _any_ fond memories of him. Not even close. She was glad that Mr. McIntyre had made sure that no one could harm another here. She didn't know how he had convinced everyone, but it provided her with a very good sense of relief.

Amy suddenly realized that she had missed Bae's resolution while she had been thinking. She had only become aware of her surroundings again by the clapping. She hurriedly added a few claps of her own, and then waited for the next person to come up.

And waited.

A few impatient whispers were exchanged. Someone began tapping their foot. Everyone had been going up for a while without needing Mr. McIntyre to call them forward, so it was a little strange for there to be a sudden lull.

Mr. McIntyre came to the microphone. "Could number thirteen please come up? Does anyone have number thirteen?"

No one answered. No one came onto the stage. No one suddenly said, "Oh, that's me! Sorry for the wait, everyone!"

Amy looked around curiously, wondering what had happened to number thirteen. No one had left the room, had they? An strange, unpleasant feeling of dread settled in her stomach. This didn't make sense. Hadn't everyone drawn a number? Was someone just playing a joke? It would be just like Dan, but he had number thirty, she remembered.

"Oh no," Reagan suddenly spoke. Her eyes were wide, and her face seemed to pale slightly. "Guys, don't you get it?" Everyone stared at her. "It's number thirteen! And no one is going up. _Number thirteen_. It's an unlucky number!"

Whispers started to fill the room, and Dan nudged Amy. "Whoa, this is so cool! It's like a ghost story! Where's the blood?"

The volume of the crowd increased, and a few Cahills seemed to be hyperventilating.

"Everyone, please, calm down!" Mr. McIntyre pleaded. He looked around, worried. "Didn't everyone take a number? No one has left the room, have they?" Everyone shrugged or shook their heads, or even voiced their answers with a "no", "nope", or "no, mah peeps!" Mr. McIntyre hurried down from the stage, and again, the voices arose, louder than before. Amy saw the old lawyer make his way through the crowd, and realized that he was heading towards her. But then he grabbed Dan by the shoulder, who had been standing beside her.

"Occupy them!" he hissed in his ear.

Dan raised an eyebrow. ". . . Occupy?" he asked, clearly mystified.

Mr. McIntyre nodded. "Yes! Distract them. I need to sort this out. I must find that servant who passed around the numbers."

Dan grinned. "I can do that." Mr. McIntyre thanked him, and then exited the room as quickly as he could without running. Dan, meanwhile, mounted the stage. The Cahills quieted down somewhat when they saw him, and those who had noticed him looked up at him expectantly, and in the case of some, with confusion.

"Hey, everyone!" Dan called. "What's up? Anyways. . ." He looked around the room, trying to think of what he could do. Then he did the first thing that came to his mind. "_Dorothy the dinosaur. . . Who's that knocking on your front door_?" he sang.

Amy groaned and wished that she could disappear. Her brother was singing a song by a group that entertained toddlers who were called the Wiggles. She didn't even realize that he would remember watching that show when he was little! But of course, her brother just had to be a dweeb and do the most embarrassing thing he could think of. He continued to sing it, sometimes pausing a bit, improving a line if he forgot it.

"_Is it. . . Henry? The purple ooooctupus? Is it. . . um. . . Amy? My dweeeeeeeby sister_?"

Amy groaned again and put a hand to her eyes. What insanity had driven Mr. McIntyre to ask _him_ for help? "Kill me now," she muttered.

"Only if you return the favor," someone sighed behind her. Amy turned, and again, it was Ian. He had been looking at Dan with a trace of despair and disgust on his features. He shifted his gaze to Amy, and gave her a small smile of pity. "It can't be easy to live with him."

Amy wasn't sure if she should glare or agree. "Well, sometimes, it isn't. But it can't be easy to live with _your_ family, either."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "Not always." He looked arrogantly around at all the Cahills who were regarding Dan with mixed reactions. Some were laughing; some were staring at him strangely, or just ignored him and talked amongst themselves, still rather confused about the missing number thirteen. Reagan still looked as if she were hyperventilating. He switched his gaze back to Amy when she spoke.

"I'm tempted to go and hide," she whispered. "Did you see how they all stared at me when he sang that?"

Ian nodded. "Normally, I might think it hilarious, but then he sang about me, too."

"_Is it Ian? Tha-at twooooo-faced jerk_?"

"Well, it was true," Amy muttered.

Ian narrowed his eyes. "How so?" he challenged.

Amy flushed slightly, almost feeling embarrassed. "W-well. . . I-it isn't that hard t-to figure out. I mean. . . Are you even aware of some of th-the things you've done? Or d-do you always tend to d-defend yourself on m-matters like these?"

He stared at her for a moment, and then sighed. "Look, I've told you before, I deserve harsh words."

"You just barely countered me, th-though."

"I simply asked why you thought I was a jerk," Ian protested.

"Y-you're a smart boy. You can figure it out," Amy told him sarcastically, trying to keep her voice from quivering.

Ian bristled. "No need to act so harsh."

Amy glared. "Why so contradictory today?" she challenged.

"You seemed perfectly fine with my company not two hours ago while we were dancing!"

Amy didn't have an answer for that, and glanced away. "W-well. . ." She looked back up at him. He was smirking with triumph. "That was. . . I . . ."

"Exactly," Ian sneered. "You have no reason to lash out at me."

"Of course I do!" Amy froze as people turned to stare at her. Had her exclamation really been that loud?

Dan paused for a moment in his singing, and then said, "Remember, don't eat chickens. They're nice! Except for when they're _not_ nice. . ."

Amy groaned. "Let's continue this conversation elsewhere."

"Is there some reason we can't continue it now?" Ian asked coldly.

"Now just might not be the best time," Amy replied between gritted teeth, "what with all these people here."

"Then let's leave."

Amy's eyes widened at Ian's suggestion. ". . . Wh-what? But we. . . We can't just-! M–m-mr. McIntyre i-is bound to come b-back any. . . any moment!"

"So? We can sneak out onto the balcony, and converse for however long we need to. No one will miss us."

She stared at him. "Are you _insane_?"

"Everyone will be distracted by Daniel's . . . performance."

"Dan," Amy automatically corrected.

". . . Right, Dan. Mr. McIntyre might need a little longer to clear this up, and even more to calm everyone down and restore this night back to order," Ian explained quickly. "And if we add just a little more chaos, we could easily be granted ten minutes. I am sure that that would be plenty of time."

Amy bit her lip, hesitant. It made sense, in a way. If Ian could pull off the chaos, like he promised, then it could be tempting. . .

To do what? Sneak out and talk with him? That sounded absolutely crazy! Sure, it might feel nice to vent a little bit and shout at him for being such a horrible person. But for all she knew, it would all come out in stutters, and he might just listen to her without expression. Then he would chuckle softly and say, "Oh, Amy, you are so foolish. Why don't we go back inside, then, and have some tea?"

. . . Alright, so maybe he wouldn't say _that_. But still, what would be the point? Would she even have the guts to do that in the first place? . . . On the other hand, what if he actually apologized for what he did? _Yeah, like _that _would happen_, Amy thought. But maybe she wasn't the only one who wanted to vent a bit. She had no way of knowing exactly why he wanted her to agree. There must have been something, though. She knew enough about him to realize that he wouldn't suggest this on a whim. He was a Lucian, after all, and they rarely did anything without constructing some sort of stable plan first, however hurried it may be. Not to say that it would do her any good, but how was it supposed to do her anything extremely _bad_ at a _New Year's Eve party_?

"What sort of chaos?" Amy asked slowly.

Ian grinned. "Oh, just _watch. . ._"

Amy shifted a bit uncomfortably, but didn't object.

"Tomas are so ugly," he said, loud enough for any Tomas to hear, in an altered voice. "And stupid, and slow, and fat. . ."

"Who said that?" Eisenhower yelled at the same time as Ivan Kliester.

"Whoever it was," Cora muttered, "Truer words have never been spoken."

Amy's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" she hissed desperately at Ian.

"Creating chaos," he replied innocently, as if it were obvious.

Now her eyes were narrowed. "I should have known-" she began, but she was cut off when Ian pulled her back.

"Look out!" he warned. Eisenhower came barreling past them, knocking people everywhere as he tried to find who had insulted his family branch.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he shouted. ". . . WHOEVER YOU ARE!"

Amy stared at him, terrified. But before she could do anything, Ian was pulling her away again. The Cahills were suddenly all over the ball room. Isabel and Ivan were screaming insults at each other. Sinead was berating Hamilton, who was flushed with anger. Jonah and his father had run for the cover of a table, while Gordon was running towards Alana with a crazed gleam in his eye, declaring, "_I will save you, my love_!" Eisenhower was ballistic, and those who tried to stop him in his rage were very brave indeed. Or perhaps just stupid.

"My DRESS!" Natalie shrieked as Ned- or was it Ted?- bumped into one of the refreshment tables that she herself was about to hide under, however degrading the floor was. As a result, a salsa stain had appeared that she knew would never come out. Not that she was going to be wearing her dress ever again, but she would have to carry the embarrassment for the rest of the night! So much for her stupid resolution that she had planned on. . .

Dan stood frozen on the stage, staring at the spectacle in wonder. ". . . Was it something I said?" he asked weakly.

The whole ballroom was a maze of people and food. _It actually worked_, Amy realized as Ian dragged her away. _If the whole place doesn't end up blowing to pieces, it will take ages for McIntyre to stop all of the fighting and calm everyone down. And then he would probably have to arrange for them to relocate, or something. And then Reagan might still be freaking out over the missing number thirteen thing. . . It will take a little effort to find us, even._

Finally, Ian and Amy stumbled onto the balcony, and Ian quickly shut the door leading to it. Amy leaned back on the balcony rail, breathing a little heavily after the sudden rush.

"Well," she noted, "that was certainly ch-chaotic."

Ian turned to face her, straightening his tuxedo jacket. "I suppose that is supposed to be a compliment of sorts. Thank you."

Amy nodded weakly, and pushed away from the railing to stand up straighter. "Well, we're out h-here now."

"Yes, how observant of you," Ian commented sarcastically. "I suggest we continue our conversation before someone comes out here to look for us. I believe that you had said that you had reasons of your own to be angry with me."

"Of course I do!" Amy snapped, reminded of her fury. "You've been trying to kill me and Dan nonstop ever since Grace's funeral! Not to mention all of the times you've lied and tricked us."

"Not all of that was voluntary!" Ian protested. "Not nearly half of it."

"Oh really?" Amy asked sarcastically. "Well, that's what it felt like from my point of view. Almost _too_ voluntary. . ."

"Of course it did." Ian rolled his eyes. "I was _acting_. Not a gift lost entirely to the Janus."

"Well, if you were acting," Amy mused, "then you could be acting at this very moment, couldn't you?"

"I could. But I am not."

"You don't have any proof!"

"Well, it certainly doesn't take much for you to buy it. You showed plenty of your gullibility in Asia."

Amy bristled. "Cut me some slack! I'd only been looking for clues for what, _one week_?"

"Amy, our family does not, has not, and _will not _ever cut anyone any amount of slack, no matter who they are or whatever circumstances they are under. Have you not learned that?"

"Of course I have," she hissed. "Thanks to you."

"You are welcome."

"_I was being sarcastic_!"

"You needed the lesson anyways," Ian waved a hand indifferently. "Otherwise, you and Dan would cry over every little thing that happened to you."

"So everything you did in Korea was just to teach me a lesson?" Amy stared at Ian, her eyes hardened. How could he just stand there and say things like that? She shouldn't have expected any better. Not that she had. But he didn't even care! He didn't even _think_! He just said anything he pleased, and he didn't care if it hurt you or not. Either that or he said everything precisely so that it would hurt you the most.

"No!" Ian protested. "Korea. . . That was different."

"Oh, I'm sure it was. You'd probably never been so disgusted with someone in your life." Amy turned away from Ian and leaned against the balcony. She knew that the tears were beginning to accumulate, and she didn't want them to spill over. There was a better chance of keeping them at bay if she didn't have to look at him.

"Well, let's face it. That dog took out a pretty large portion of my pants." Ian gave a small grin, but it soon fell when Amy didn't react at his attempt to lighten the mood. He sighed and came to stand beside her. She jumped away, and turned her head so she still wouldn't have to face him.

Ian looked down, trying to think of what to say. She was making this difficult. But what had he expected? That he could really just apologize to her and that everything would be alright? This wasn't some fantasy or fairytale. Even if she did forgive him for everything–or even _some_ of the things that he had done, it wouldn't make it better. She would still be hesitant to have anything to do with him.

But then again. . . Who said he _did _want anything to do with her? She was everything he had been taught to stay away from. She was common. She was horribly shy, and the clue hunt had hardly done much to help her in public. It would be hilarious to watch her give try to give her resolution, Ian thought. Aside from her bringing up and personality, she wasn't very attractive, to say the least. Her face was tolerable, he supposed, but her acne did at times seem to be a bit out of control. And her right eye was smaller than her left. Ian suppressed a groan, realizing that he wouldn't be able to look at her now without staring at her eye and wishing that it would somehow grow just a little bigger to be symmetrical.

He _shouldn't_ want anything to do with her.

And yet he did. Even with her flaws, her personality did strike some curiosity every now and then. Fascinating at times, even, and as entertaining as a clever farce on the tellie. Of course, his family would kill him for having a soft spot for her. Or they would try to take this to their advantage, to pull ahead in the hunt for the clues. But that would break her heart even more. Using her over and over again; lying, stealing, cheating. The process would continue until she finally stopped trusting him altogether (if she hadn't already), or until he could stop obeying his parents without the threat of them trying (and most likely succeeding) to kill or disown him if he didn't obey.

Amy finally broke the silence. "I. . . I don't want you to lie to me, Ian."

Ian looked up. "I haven't lied to you once this whole evening."

"How do I know _that_ isn't a lie?"

He sighed. "Well, if you want to be difficult..."

Amy turned to face him, frowning. "Fine, I'll try to be agreeable. So for the moment, I'll consider that everything you've said has been true. Th-that still doesn't prove much."

"You have a point," Ian conceded.

After another few moments of silence, Amy spoke again, softly. "Ian, why did you really bring me out here?"

Ian rubbed his lips together, considering his answer. "Well, I did want to know why you thought I was a jerk."

"I told you, it's not that hard to figure out!"

"Well, yes, but as I then pointed out–"

"I was trying to be polite," Amy hissed.

"You could have mentioned that earlier. Or did you just think of that excuse a few seconds ago?"

Amy flushed. "I. . . No. . ."

"Now who is the liar?"

"Still you."

"Hey!" Ian protested. "Please. Tell me the _real_ reason why you weren't glaring daggers at me throughout that whole dance."

Amy paused. She thought back, trying to remember her specific thoughts and feelings from that moment. "Well. . . M-maybe because I was a little distracted."

"I was right in front of you."

"Yes, but I was. . . sort of–" before Amy could get another word out, however, the doors to the balcony swung open.

"_There_ you are! Come on, we're ready t–!" Dan cut himself off. "What are you two doing out here? _Alone_?" he asked slowly, looking back and forth between Ian and Amy, who were standing next to each other. Amy jumped away, blushing, despite the fact that she and Ian hadn't been standing very close to each other anyways. Why did Dan have to find them? Of course he would assume something. Just about anybody would. And then he would probably make fun of her for weeks, and pester her with stupid questions.

Ian just gave a small smile. "She was simply telling me that I was a jerk. Let us go back inside. We shouldn't keep anyone waiting, should we?"

. . . Then again, it could have been worse.

* * *

"Please settle down," Mr. McIntyre said to the small crowd. They were now in the second ballroom of the Kabras Mansion, and although it was smaller, it was still remarkably spacious. Servants were quietly setting up the tables and some new refreshments near the back of the room. "The reason there was no number thirteen was because Ned and Ted decided to share a number, which left one other, which just so happened to be thirteen. It was completely coincidental."

Most of the Cahills then turned to glare at the two auburn haired boys, who were grinning sheepishly, and contently fist bumping each other.

"However, in my absence, you somehow managed to get into a fight," Mr. McIntyre continued, his tone growing annoyed. "Those participators have been punished accordingly." No one turned to stare at Eisenhower this time, except for Amy, who couldn't help trying to sneak a peek. But then Mr. McIntyre called up number fourteen, who was actually both Ned and Ted Starling, so Amy turned her attention back to them. She tried to suppress a grin, and she wanted to laugh at how ironic the situation was, them getting called up right after they had been blamed for the incident.

"Sorry for the little . . . inconvenience," one of them said. No one except Sinead, and their parents, who weren't there anyways, could tell them apart, so no one really knew who was speaking.

The other one didn't say anything, but nodded.

"You see, Ned is a little hard of hearing, ever since a little mishap we got caught in," Ted explained, "so I just signed to him that we could share a number. Anyways, we decided that once Ned gets his hearing back, we're going to switch places for a day and try to fool as many people as we can." He grinned. "But we're not telling you which day! That would ruin the surprise."

Amy saw Sinead roll her eyes, but she clapped politely with everyone else. She also noticed a small smile on Sinead's face. Maybe she didn't always find Ned and Ted's antics as annoying as she let everyone think.

The next one up was Cora Wizard, Jonah's mother, and the head of the Janus branch. When she got up to the microphone, she flashed a brilliant smile, which Amy suspected she had practiced in front of a mirror before.

"Hello, fellow Cahills," she said, almost as if she were singing a song. "I am pleased to be up here and share my resolution for the upcoming year with you. I am sure it will be wonderful, and my goal is to have the most successful one I can manage." She gave another seemingly fake smile, which most of the Cahills were doing, and then gracefully stepped off the stage.

Number sixteen was Gordon Klose.

"I want to get married," he announced breathlessly. He, of course, was thinking of Alana, who cringed, knowing that he was thinking of her. She didn't clap politely. She hadn't clapped the whole night, but after this particular resolution, she glared at Gordon. He mistook it for a loving gaze again.

Victor Wood mounted the stage, trying to ignore the awkwardness in the air after Gordon had stated his goal. He cleared his throat and said, "I would like to continue to make scientific discoveries this year." Polite applause rose again, and then Alana came to the stage.

It was rather terrifying, for Alana was fuming. Her eyes were bottomless pits of hate, and narrowed into a hard glare. Her lips were pursed, and she breathed deeply through her nose a few times to keep herself from screaming cuss words at everyone, specifically Gordon, who silently concluded that he had never seen her look more lovely. Had Alana heard this particular thought, she might have really screamed. It was hopeless.

"_I intend to kill someone_," she seethed. Everyone but Gordon knew who she was talking about. Hands clenched in fists, Alana left the stage while Alistair Oh took his place in front of the microphone.

He glanced around the ballroom, looking slightly nervous. He tugged at one of the cuffs on his sleeve, and cleared his throat. "My goal is to live another year," he said shakily, glancing at his uncle, who was in turn glaring daggers at him. He quickly left the stage, and another Cahill replaced him.

Eisenhower stood there, not saying anything. His beefy face looked slightly pale, for once, instead of its usual angry red. It took Amy a moment, but she finally realized– He was scared. Well, maybe not _scared_ exactly, but nervous, at the very least. As the silence continued, people started getting confused. They shifted on their feet, whispered to their neighbors, or peered anxiously at him.

"Uh. . ." Eisenhower blinked. "Um. . . My resolution. . . is. . ." He trailed off, sounding very uncertain of himself. And then Amy realized why he was so nervous. He hadn't been able to think of a resolution, either. After coming to this conclusion, she felt a bit of pity for him. It was odd, feeling pity for a Holt, especially after he'd tried to kill her so many times as well. But she reminded herself that she hadn't thought of a resolution yet, either. She was in no position to mock him and become a hypocrite.

"The idiot doesn't have a resolution," Amy heard someone say. And, of course, it was Ian she heard again. She rounded on him, glaring.

"Just because he hasn't thought of one doesn't give you the right to insult him!" she hissed. "Imagine if _you_ were up there, without the slightest idea of what to say. Can't you imagine how nerve-racking that would be?"

"Oh, have a soft spot for a Holt, now, don't you Amy?" Ian chuckled. Instantly, he regretted criticizing her. Amy's face fell, before hardening once more. Giving him another glare, she turned back around. He knew she must be thinking that he most definitely was a jerk, and that he really never would change.

And that was exactly what she was thinking.

Finally, however, Eisenhower spoke again in triumph: "I'm going to make my branch proud of me!" Ivan Kliester put a hand over his eyes and sighed dejectedly. He had been afraid of something just as ridiculous as that. But he was more afraid of the Lucian's branch leader then the bumbling Holt, who walked onto the stage after Eisenhower had left it.

* * *

Vikram Kabra was an intimidating man. Although neither Amy nor Dan had met him before, they'd never really wanted to after their various encounters with the rest of his family. He was probably worse than all of them, though it was hard to imagine someone more cold-hearted than Isabel. Amy secretly hoped that he was somehow the nicest of the Kabras, but she didn't think her hopes would do much good. But she reasoned that he couldn't do much harm to her or Dan by just making a New Year's resolution. So she tried to calm her fears and stop her knees from knocking together underneath her dress. It didn't really help that Ian was probably smirking at her quivering figure behind her back. She groaned inwardly when she realized that it would just get worse when Isabel went up.

As Vikram gazed over the crowd, he seemed to be looking for someone– But the expression left nearly as quickly as it came, and his eyes stopped sweeping the crowd. "I intend to lead my branch to victory in all things," he said without much emotion. It was similar to Ivan Kliester's resolution, but nobody dared to object.

Amy shivered as he left the stage. It felt as if he were staring straight at her, daring her to do or say anything against him. She took a deep steadying breath, and watched him cautiously until he was back in his place, and Madison Holt stepped up. (Although most of the Cahills weren't sure if it was really her or her twin sister instead, Reagan.)

"I want to find all of the 39 Clues!" she declared.

"Reagan–" Mr. McIntyre began, stepping forward from his spot next to the stage.

"I'm MADISON!" She shouted with a stomp of her foot.

"Oh, yes, my apologies," he amended hastily. "However, I asked before that none of you mention the 39 Clues in your resolution. Please state a different one." Although Madison glared at him, she knew not to mess with the Lawyer. His tone was cordial, yet there was something in it that she didn't like.

"Fine," she mumbled. "Um. . . I want to break a world record," she shrugged. She walked off with a scowl. Mr. McIntyre just stepped back and didn't comment again. He nodded to her as Madison passed him, but she just huffed and went back to where she was standing before.

There was now another Cahill on the stage, a man that Amy didn't recognize. His name was Leslie D. Mill. He was a famous director, and yes, he was Janus. A very close friend of Cora Wizard, he had produced a movie starring her son, Jonah.

"I want to release as many movies as I can this year!" he said with a gleam in his eye, using hand gestures to add to the effect of his resolution. From this, Amy understood who he must be.

After Mill came Mary-Todd. "I want to perfect my Body Builder Brownie Bites recipe!" she said cheerfully. Polite applause followed a little late, as most of the Cahills were wondering just what her recipe was. . . Then most decided that they didn't want to know.

It was Natalie's turn. She started walking towards the small stage, making sure to keep her back straight and her head high. "Take even steps," she told herself silently. "Remember, you are far better than the commoners gathered here." It was slightly difficult to obey herself, though. Her heels were practically stilts, and while the shoes were absolutely gorgeous, she felt that she was beginning to gain a few blisters. Her dress was the most expensive one she had ever worn in her life, and that was really saying something. However, as delicate as it was, the fabric was tight against her skin, and it had taken all of her willpower this whole night not to let anyone see how hard it felt to breath.

Not to mention the fact that it now had a large and embarrassing salsa stain on it.

Natalie finally made it to the steps of the stage, but when she did, a hand clasped around her arm. She turned her head to see that her mother was glaring down at her.

"Do not _dare_ to say _anything_ that would embarrass your father or me," she hissed into her ear. "Do not say anything petty, anything common, or anything _stupid_. You are a Kabra, and you cannot afford to look weak in front of the competition." Isabel then let go of her daughter, and allowed her to walk again.

Taking as deep a breath as she could, Natalie walked onto the stage in a bit of a daze. Had her mother really just called her weak? Stupid? _Embarrassing? _What had Isabel thought that she was going to say, to buy the world? Now that was ridiculous...

Was that the way that her mother saw her?

Stepping up to the microphone, Natalie surveyed the Cahills. They were looking up at her expectantly, some with indifference, others with contempt, while still more with hatred or fear. She had to say _something_. And most importantly, she could not disappoint Isabel.

"I," she began, but hesitated. There were her mother and father, standing together, watching her carefully. They could probably see through right her confident disguise, and knew that she was feeling uneasy. _Vikram and Isabel thought that she was weak._

She would show them.

"I will do what I can to improve the Lucian branch, and ultimately, add to the legacy of my family." Natalie spoke smoothly and proudly while keeping an eye on her parents. She hoped that her façade of certainty was still strong on the outside. On the inside, however, she could feel her stomach churning. As Natalie walked off the stage, she prepared for Isabel to hiss into her ear again. When she didn't, it was a relief.

_That must have been a good thing to say, then_, Natalie thought. She barely paid attention to any other resolutions for the rest of the night.

* * *

Hamilton looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. It was crumpled, sweaty, and there was a number twenty-six on it. He had been keeping track of the numbers in his head as the Cahills went on and off the stage to give their resolutions. Natalie had been the twenty-fifth person that he had counted.

He mounted the stage and stepped up to the microphone. He had been wondering what he should say during the ten minutes they had all been given. He could just say something stupid. Nobody would have expected better. He could come up with something smart or significant, and everyone would be shocked that a _Tomas_—and a Holt, no less—had said that. It would be funny to see their faces full of surprise. Hamilton had made up his mind about what he wanted to do soon enough, though, and he didn't like the feeling of everyone looking at him like they were. He just wanted to get it over and done with, and so he said, "I want to be a good person."

After Hamilton had hurried off the stage, ignoring the whispers that followed his resolution, Ian came up the steps. His and Amy's conversation was still fresh in her mind as she watched him. He looked calm and composed, as always, however. Amy wondered how much of Ian's actions were really just a mask. Ian was capable of surprising her, she knew, just as Hamilton had surprised everyone else just a moment ago. Although it was hard to believe that he could be sorry for anything he did, Amy felt anxious to hear what he would say. Like Hamilton, would he just want to become a better person? Then again, his definition of 'better' could just mean making more money and always having a mirror around to admire himself. As silly as it seemed, Amy wouldn't put it past him.

Ian let his gaze travel around the room, taking pleasure when various Cahills seemed to shrink away or look down. His parents were nearly glaring at him, warning that if he made a mistake, he could never live it down. It was ridiculous, he thought, the way they had worked themselves up over this. Naturally, he could understand them not wanting him to seem weak in front of the competition. But it wasn't as if anyone here was actually taking this seriously. Not even the Tomas could be so stupid.

_Although Amy did seem just as perplexed by this_, he thought as his eyes found her pale face. She was obviously frightened. Her ensemble did nothing to improve her. Again, the thought of how she was considerably less attractive then the majority of the world. Usually. He did give her credit for making a valiant effort tonight, though. The way she was glaring up at him didn't make him any more inclined to call her "pretty", however. With that thought, he was inspired to change what he was going to say at the last second.

"My resolution for the coming New Year is to gain the trust of one once lost," Ian said with what could have been a smile.

Isabel's high heels clicked on the polished marble floor, and she hissed to her son as she passed him to mount the stage. "_What was that_?" She couldn't tell if he had meant it to help him gain the clues or for his own petty preferences. Ian merely shrugged and went back to where he had been standing before, and didn't turn to look at her until he had reached his destination and stared up at her coolly, expectantly.

Amy felt as confused about Ian's resolution as Isabel. She turned her head to give Ian a puzzled look, but he didn't seem to notice. She turned back to listen to Isabel and felt Dan clutch at her hand tightly. Squeezing it back in what she hoped was a reassuring way, Amy took a deep breath. Up on the stage was the woman who had killed her parents. That was the monster who had tried to kill her and her brother relentlessly, and no doubt would continue to until she was behind bars. Even then, she wouldn't give up on finding a way out and get revenge. She was driven by power and power alone, and Amy and Dan didn't have to take any wild guesses as to what she would say.

"Good evening, my fellow Cahills," Isabel began.

"_Faking_," Dan breathed to his sister, referring to Isabel's polite tone. Amy only nodded.

Isabel directed her gaze towards Dan, as if she had heard his comment, but her voice betrayed no hostility. "My husband and I are very pleased to offer our home as a place of celebration. It is such an honor to welcome so many respected family members. Many accomplishments that have occurred in the world are because of us and our ancestors. We have such a grand legacy!" Isabel paused. "And hardly anyone outside of our family even realizes that." Her cold gaze swept around the room, and the room was silent.

_Why won't she just say her resolution already_? Amy wondered. She knew that Dan was thinking the same thing, however more annoyed it may sound in his head. He also probably wanted Mr. McIntyre to kick her off the stage, and Amy would be lying if she said that she didn't want that very same thing.

"For generation upon generation, we have improved humanity and propelled our race to greatness!" Isabel's arms were now spread wide, and her eyes held a fiery light, such that she didn't look quite human anymore. Amy shuddered. All of this at a stupid New Year's Eve party?

"And now," Isabel said triumphantly, "now, I shall finish my family's legacy, once and for all." As Isabel lowered her hands to her side again and the light in her eyes died, she flashed teeth of the most brilliant shade of white in a smile. "Happy New Year!" She strode off the stage confidently, leaving most of the Cahills confused by her speech.

"Wait, why'd she give a huge rant?" Dan whispered to Amy.

Ignoring his question, she asked, "What did she mean by putting so much emphasis on 'my'?"

Dan shrugged. "I don't know. But that was pretty scary. . ."

"Weird," Amy nodded in agreement.

The others in the room had gradually recovered from Isabel's speech as well, and had begun to whisper to each other as Amy and Dan had. They were clearly stunned by her words, and it took Reagan a while to realize that she was next. She nearly tripped as she hurried onto the stage to take her place in front of the microphone. She smoothed out her skirt awkwardly and tugged at her shirt.

"Hi," she said. Then, continuing in a rush, "My New Year's resolution is- is to be more open with my family." Polite applause came, but when she returned to where her family was standing, Amy could make out Eisenhower barraging her with question after question. _"What did you mean by that? Are you hiding things from us?"_

"She was number twenty-nine," Dan muttered. "I'm up!" He ran up to the microphone and grinned.

"Oh, no," Amy sighed dejectedly.

"I'M GOING TO BE A NINJA LORD, EVERYBODY!" He yelled. "WOO!" Everyone covered their ears as the sound system went out of sync. Dan leaned away from it, and when the sound died down, he tapped it cautiously. When nothing out of the ordinary happened, he shrugged and hopped off the stage.

"Your turn," he told Amy.

Looking out over the audience was terrifying. There were so many faces and expectations, and the worst thing was that almost every single one hated her.

Amy tried to take a deep breath, but she still felt lightheaded. She could feel her body shaking, and her stomach seemed determined to create the largest knot that it could. Her mouth was open, meant to say something, but nothing came out. She couldn't do anything, and she hated herself for it.

Then again, it was quite the accomplishment to have actually gotten _on_ the stage in the first place. It had taken a few pushes and prods from Dan, but eventually her feet started to move. Now here she was, without a resolution. She was the last one to say anything. _Everyone_ was going to remember what she said. Yes, something like this wasn't supposed to matter. Not everyone would follow their goals, and it would be easy enough to say something general and just move on with it. There wouldn't be anything to condemn her with, and no more reason to think she was weaker than everyone already thought she was.

But that wasn't what she wanted.

_I think I understand what Mr. McIntyre was trying to do when he brought us here_, Amy realized. The Cahill family was one long tragedy of a broken family. One night had changed the world, and misunderstandings had led the original Cahill siblings to blame each other for it. Amy thought of all the times that innocent people had died because her family was so power hungry. _Her family_. So much bad had happened, and the good hadn't been enough to outshine it. Gathering so many here in one night had been a miracle. Yes, the chaos that Ian had only enhanced had been a bit of a draw-back, but no one died!

Tonight they were celebrating the beginning of a new year. Here was a chance for a change, an improvement. For some in the room, there was only way to go. How could she not want to become better herself?

Amy's rapid train of thought was interrupted by the chiming of the clock.

"It's almost midnight!" someone cried. "It's almost the New Year!"

All attention was quickly diverted from Amy, standing small and terrified in front of the microphone.

_Dong, dong, dong_.

Had time really passed so fast that night?

_Dong, dong, dong._

Everyone was staring at the clock, waiting for the final ring to announce the New Year.

_Dong, dong, dong._

Amy made up her mind.

_Dong, dong. . ._

"I wish I could make Grace proud," she whispered.

_Dong!_

* * *

Mr. McIntyre shook Vikram's hand. "Again, I must thank you for your hospitality," he said.

Vikram nodded respectfully. "It was an honor, William."

The two men parted, and the large entrance doors to the Kabra Mansion were closed behind the old Lawyer's back. He stared thoughtfully at the gently falling snow. Despite how well he knew the Cahill nature, he had been surprised that night. Not only had no one died, but some of the resolutions had been genuine. Some longed for peace, and some hated the hostility between the branches. _Some_ wanted to change.

Giving a grim smile, Mr. McIntyre carefully walked down the icy steps leading to the vast driveway below, where a limo awaited him.

It was a step forward. And that was all that mattered.

_The End~_

* * *

**I have been writing this story for so long- over a year. I must thank LOP for asking me to write it in the first place. I went completely over the top, and had so much fun along the way.**

**But I must apologize for taking so dreadfully long to write the last chapter. Most of you probably understand that for quite a while I actually wasn't able to access this story because of computer problems, but other than that, it was just procrastination. Heh. My most sincere apologies. I've kept you all waiting long enough.**

**You have no idea how much time I have spent agonizing over this story, though. It's ridiculous, but true. I wanted it to be absolutely fantastic, and while I've been writing this story, my style and knowledge of writing has evolved so much. I really hope you didn't mind the length, but... personally, I love it.**

**Other than my petty excuses... Oh, yes, a round of thanks is in order. First, I must thank .Pie. (LOP) again, for asking me to write this story in the first place. :) It's been so enjoyable, and I hope you've enjoyed it as well.**

**The Irish Nymph (also known as LucianWriter77) as well as Cascading Rainbows (who is also called Joyce) should be absolutely showered with praises, because they helped me edit and edit and edit again. Thank you for being such wonderful friends, writers, and editors!**

**I would also like to thank Lambent Penumbra. Yes, ridiculous as this is, your review of the previous chapters really made an impact on me. I'm very thankful that you were so honest, and that you enjoyed this story, too! And, of course, I've been worried about what you'll say. Heh. Don't pay any attention to the girl freaking out in the corner over there...**

**And, of course, I must thank all of the readers and reviewers, both online and off. People have reviewed begging me to finish, and while that **_**is**_** annoying, I'm thankful for love. It always amazes me that so many people look at this story every month, just waiting for an update. I'm flattered, and I hope this last chapter was worth it!**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you all **_**so much**_** for dealing with my flaming, hypocrisy, and procrastinating. I'm so thankful to be able to have improved my writing so much among such supportive (if anonymous) people, and I'm thankful that you love my writing regardless of anything else. I hope you've enjoyed the story- I certainly have!**

** ~Muse/Mona/Musia/Awen **


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